Peanut butter is widely enjoyed and finds a variety of uses. The most common use of peanut butter is in preparing sandwiches. Product characteristics which are responsible for peanut butter's wide acceptance and popularity are its flavor, its good nutritional properties and its suitability for consumption alone or in combination with a variety of other foods.
While peanut butter is much appreciated as a food, individuals assigned to clean eating utensils often feel differently. Peanut butter tends to adhere to knives, spoons and the like. Removal of peanut butter from those objects is a nuisance at best; any member found to have left peanut butter on a utensil during an after hours snack may well be ostracized within his household.
Recently, new forms of peanut butter products have been marketed. These include squeezable peanut butter in the form of sticks and tubes. The sticks afford a nutritious snack, especially for children. Both forms provide a convenient way to eat peanut butter while avoiding the chore of cleaning peanut butter from a utensil.
Peanut butter has also been marketed in admixture with other ingredients such as chocolate. Unfortunately, these products have tended not to afford consumers the distinct and enjoyable sensations afforded by each of the ingredients individually.
A variety of peanut butter products have been reported in the popular and the patent literatures.
An article entitled “RESERVISTS BRING THEIR BOSSES ALONG ON TRAINING; CIVILIANS RIDE HUMMERS AND HELICOPTERS AND SNACK ON MRES” in the Nov. 4, 2001 issue of the St. Louis Dispatch describes someone squeezing peanut butter from a tube onto a cracker.
In the Oct. 17, 2001 edition of the Straits Times (Singapore), an article with a headline entitled “Radios Being Dropped to woo Afghan Hearts” describes a drawing showing how tubes of peanut butter should be squeezed.
An article in the Congressional Quarterly DBA Governing Magazine dated September, 2001 accompanied by the headline: “A STICKY STATE OF AFFAIRS” mentions that California prisons pack plastic peanut butter and jelly “squeezes” in lunch bags for prisoners who have off-site job.
The Pantagraph of Aug. 12, 2001, in a headline entitled “Scout records events of national conference” mentions that in 1997, the Scouts had crackers, squeeze cheese, squeeze peanut butter, squeeze jelly, and trail mix.
CNN THE SPIN ROOM 22:30 of May 14, 2001 reported that a company called P.J.'s Squares, has sent to the White House a couple of cases of little plastic squeezey things, like you might get mustard in or mayonnaise, but these are full of peanut butter and jelly.
Newsletter Database™, Copyright 2001 Marketing Intelligence Service Ltd., Product Alert of Mar. 26, 2001 discloses “Squeezers,” available from Portion Pac, Inc., located in Mason, Ohio. The 2.12 oz. pouches of Peanut Butter & Concord Grape Jelly Combo and Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam Combo are presented in boxes that state, “Nutritious and fun—Grab and go—Easy lunches—Hiking, biking, camping, sporting events—No cutlery needed.” Squeezers is said to be a registered trademark of Thermo Pac, Inc.
The West County Times of Sep. 10, 2000 in an article about scouts mentions lunching on crackers with squeezable peanut butter and jelly.
An article in The Washington Post on Aug. 30, 2000, p F01 entitled EYE ON THE AISLES; Jump for Jerky by Carole Sugarman mentions that “last September” a Los Angeles company named Visionary Brands rolled out Peanut Squeeze—peanut butter in an easy-to-squirt plastic bottle.
The Enertia Trail Foods catalogue on the Internet at least as early as Sep. 16, 2002 shows a “Peanut Butter Squeezers” product in a mayonnaise-type pouch. On page 11, a “Peanut Butter/Jelly Combo Squeezers” product is mentioned.
Wong et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,623,783 is directed to a fluid suspension of sugar and oil which is useful in making nut spreads having high levels of sugar. It is said that having the sugar in the form of a fluid suspension with the oil allows the sugar to be easily mixed with the nut solids containing mixture. The combining of the sugar and oil and the nut solids-containing mixture can be made continuous such as by co-blending the two streams in a static or in-line mixer or series of mixers. The water soluble solids in the fluid suspension such as the sugar, salt and the like preferably have a relatively fine particle size. Chocolate may be blended into the Wong et al. nut solids mixture. Many flavorants are mentioned and it is said that these can be delivered from flavored or flaked bits. Wong et al. prefer cocoa solids enrobed or encapsulated by sugar, which are said to impart a more milk chocolate-like flavor and avoid imparting a bitter aftertaste to the nut spreads. The nut spreads are said to be prepared by combining the fluid suspension and the nut solids-containing mixture so as to form a substantially homogeneous blend. Intense mixing such as high shear mixing is said not to be required. In Example 2, apple flakes are added via an ingredient feeder.
Germick et al. US Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0009987 discloses a food product, preferably a food ingredient, in the form of a dye, pigment or similar colorant in a random pattern in a refrigerated, thixotropic, food material, preferably a cultured dairy product and most preferably refrigerated yogurt held in a flexible wall pouch. The second food ingredient is said to remain in the irregular and random pattern for the intended shelf life of the product. The food ingredient is produced by supplying the food ingredient through a supply tube extending through an injection tube and into a fill pipe and a fill tube.
Jerry Boy PB N′ Go peanut butter is said to come in five flavors in both creamy and crunch. Flavors include Cinnamon Surprise, Munchy Crunchy, Jalapeno Kick, Caramel-Carmel Crunch and Dreamy Creamy. The products are described at http://www.clorders.com/jerryboy.htm.
A product has been sold in the United States under the name Jif® Smooth Sensations, which includes blended peanut butter and chocolate.
A product, Doubly Delicious, has been sold in the United States under the Skippy® brand which includes peanut butter and distinct chocolate pieces.
Despite all of the attention which has been directed to peanut butter products, and the use of peanut butter combined with other components, there is a need for peanut- and other nut butter products where the nut butter is combined with one or more other components in such a way that consumers can readily perceive the presence of both, including their individual favorable organoleptic sensations. There is further a need for readily applied peanut butter products admixed with other, separately perceivable, desirable edible components, such as jelly and chocolate.